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Baghdad, Iraq (CNN) -- December was the first month since the beginning of the Iraq war in which there were no U.S. combat deaths, the U.S. military reported.

There were three noncombat fatalities.

"That is a very significant milestone for us as we continue to move forward, and I think that also speaks to the level of violence and how it has decreased over time," said Army Gen. Ray Odierno, the top U.S. commander in Iraq.

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talk to some about pre-GWOTand since,talk to the kids who dont have to worry about a man who would have kids and adults alike brought in to his private parties tied up and he would set them on fire for "candlelight" dinners.

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ORIGINAL: tsnody2001

I just heard Obama say that we will have ALL our combat troops home from Iraq by August of this year. I hope he really means it.

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London, England (CNN) -- Former British prime minister Tony Blair on Friday rejected claims that he had struck a secret deal with U.S. President George W. Bush in 2002 pledging British backing for the invasion of Iraq.

Testifying in front of the inquiry into the UK's participation in the U.S.-led war against Saddam Hussein's regime in 2003, Blair said he had stated publicly that Iraq needed to be confronted over its ambitions to develop weapons of mass destruction.

But Blair had told Bush that he would be "with him" when the pair met at the U.S. president's Texas ranch in April 2002, he said.

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ORIGINAL: cornergas

Sure, slowly declining the number of government troops, and increasing the Blackwater presence..killer mercenaries..so way to go GWB and BO...sure presents a warm and fuzzy feeling to the world by this sneaky ploy to keep these demented mercenaries to continue in Iraq..Oh well it will not be long and they will be patrolling the streets in the good old USA..if they aren't already...not a very comforting thought!

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I take it that you are not fond of the support groups contracted to assist our troops with some on the menial support tasks to free up our soldies for the serious ones.

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ORIGINAL: rlj

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I take it that you are not fond of the support groups contracted to assist our troops with some on the menial support tasks to free up our soldies for the serious ones.

For starters they aren't always cost effective. They simply allow the military to function around size limits put on it by Congress. I also disagree with the use of civilians being used in ways that are traditionally considered combatant positions. Without them there would be no military yet if they are attacked they are considered civilian targets. Those are two of my complaints about the contractor situation.

On the other side of the coin though (and I'm not agreeing with this) the rules by which the security contractors function are less stringent than what our troops function under.

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ORIGINAL: wing2000

...see what your tax dollars are paying for:

In newly unsealed court records, a husband and wife who once worked for Blackwater said they had personal knowledge of the company falsifying invoices, double-billing federal agencies and charging the government for personal and inappropriate items whose real purpose was hidden. They said they witnessed "systematic" fraud on the company's security contracts with the Department of State in Iraq and Afghanistan, and with the Department of Homeland Security and Federal Emergency Management Agency in Louisiana after Hurricane Katrina.

....

The Davises assert that Blackwater officials kept a Fillipino prostitute on the company payroll for a State Department contract in Afghanistan, and billed the government for her time working for Blackwater male employees in Kabul. The alleged prostitute's salary was categorized as part of the company's "Morale Welfare Recreation" expenses, they said.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/02/11/AR2010021100232.html?hpid=moreheadlines

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ORIGINAL: rcjames

Biden is claiming that Iraq is one of Obama's greatest achievements.

So now Iraq belongs to Obama, but everything else still belongs to Bush?

Go figure.

Thanks
RC

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I am very optimistic about -- about Iraq. I mean, this could be one of the great achievements of this administration. You're going to see 90,000 American troops come marching home by the end of the summer. You're going to see a stable government in Iraq that is actually moving toward a representative government.

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ORIGINAL: rlj
The great achievement is simply the withdrawal of 90,000 more troops. This is from the transcript:

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I am very optimistic about -- about Iraq. I mean, this could be one of the great achievements of this administration. You're going to see 90,000 American troops come marching home by the end of the summer. You're going to see a stable government in Iraq that is actually moving toward a representative government.

Transcript of Larry King

B0 really did nothing of importance in Iraq except speed up the withdrawal which was just fine with the Iraqis because they still don't want us over there.

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ORIGINAL: rcjames

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ORIGINAL: rlj
The great achievement is simply the withdrawal of 90,000 more troops. This is from the transcript:

quote:

I am very optimistic about -- about Iraq. I mean, this could be one of the great achievements of this administration. You're going to see 90,000 American troops come marching home by the end of the summer. You're going to see a stable government in Iraq that is actually moving toward a representative government.

Transcript of Larry King

B0 really did nothing of importance in Iraq except speed up the withdrawal which was just fine with the Iraqis because they still don't want us over there.

I took the liberty of bolding part of what Biden was claiming that Obama has done in Iraq.

And Obama had nothing to do with that, both Obama and Biden were strongly against all that the prior administration did to bring abut the "Stable government and a representitive government". They both called it unjust, a war that cannot be won, that there would never be stability, etc. etc.

So now they are claiming it was them

Oh well, I just wonder when Obama is going to own up to some of the millions of jobs that were lost on his watch??????

Thanks
RC

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ORIGINAL: rrtt11

I am for the war as strategically a democracy in the middle of the middle east would have a great impact.

I do not believe Bush lied about wmd's as the whole world thought saddam had them as he had used them in the past.

There were terrorists camps in iraq.

Saddam was paying Palestinian families for people who killed Israelis.

Just plain old freedom for a very oppressed people.

If it was for oil then why didn't we just take over the oil fields and leave the rest of the country to itself.

Leaving the country early would also be a humanitarian disaster. It would be like the killing fields after leaving Vietnam. 2 or 3 million dead.

Things are going great in Iraq despite what the media says.

Thats only a few reasons. It is a complex issue

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ORIGINAL: autocad

Can you even imagine, we spent BILLIONS to rebuilding Iraq, and our boys had to buy there OWN body armor?

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ORIGINAL: sirmixalot

I am still waiting for the fat lady in invade Iraq and start singing so we can leave.

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ORIGINAL: Goodwill

Well i expected more anti war liberal remarks but I guess not....